Cornell is Coaches' Choice in 2011-12

Sep 15, 2011

ALBANY, N.Y. --Two-time defending regular-season and tournament
champion Cornell is the team to beat in the 2011-12 regular-season,
according to voting by the League coaches as part of the preseason
poll and all-league team selection process.

The Big Red, led by reigning coach of the year Doug Derraugh, who
has quickly brought Cornell women’s hockey to national
prominence, garnered a total of 121 points, including 11 of 12
first-place votes. Cornell, which advanced to the
NCAAâWomen’s Frozen Four the last two
seasons, heads into the upcoming campaign with an experienced squad
showcasing a potent offense, which returns five of the
League’s top six scorers from last season in conference
action. In addtion, several key student-athletes on defense from a
squad which only surrendered 20 goals in 22 conference games last
year fill the roster.

Harvard, which is led by the winningest coach in the history of
Division I women’s hockey, Katey Stone, who has amassed 356
victories over the course of her storied career, accumulated 105
points earning the No. 2 spot. Quinnipiac claimed the other
first-place vote in the poll finishing in the No. 3 spot. The
Bobcats return their top nine scorers from last season and their
starting goaltender who logged nearly 2,200 in net during the
2010-11 campaign.

In the fourth spot the coaches’ selected last season’s
tournament runner-up Dartmouth, which earned 91 points. Clarkson,
which advanced to the League quarterfinals a year ago, ranks fifth
in the preseason poll with 82 points; north country partner St.
Lawrence occupies the sixth slot with 70 points. The Saints return
15 letterwinners from a season ago.

Princeton and Rensselaer garner slots Nos. 7 and 8, respectively,
while Colgate, which is led by Scott Wiley, who begins his tenth
season behind the Raiders’ bench was selected in the No. 9
position in the preseason coaches’ poll.

Yale comes in as the No. 10 team in the poll. Brown, led by
first-year head coach Amy Bourbeau, and Union are the Nos. 11 and
12 teams in the poll.

Clarkson, Quinnipiac, Rensselaer, and Union officially open the
2011-12 campaign Friday, September 30 as the Golden Knights open
their 34-game regular-season schedule traveling to Vermont, the
Bobcats season-opening tilt has them at Mercyhurst, the Engineers
play their first of six straight road contests, beginning with a
visit at the University of Connecticut, while Union makes its
first-ever trip to Minneapolis to take on perennial power and
two-time National Champion, Minnesota.

For more information about ECAC Hockey, log onto
www.ecachockey.com. Friend ECAC Hockey on Facebook and soon
subscribe to us on YouTube and Twitter.